How Much Damage Can Paintless Dent Repair Fix?

I get several customers per day asking exactly how much damage can be fixed without having to paint their car. The answer is actually quite amazing. I have repaired dents as small as a popcorn seed to as large as completely caved in doors. The scope of repair possibilities is growing quite rapidly as well.

As technologies and techniques advance, we are finding that we can make the vast majority of our customers with very large dents very happy with paintless dent repair. We can save hundreds if not thousands of dollars for our customers. The process for this type of repair varies greatly, as each large dent requires a completely unique approach. It takes a skilled and creative technician to make the repair correctly. The Car Bar has just such technicians.

I always tell my customers to come see me first. You never know how much damage we could repair and even better, how much money we can save you! I am confident that you will be surprised and happy with our results.

Adding Value With Dent Repair

When selling your car, it is important to make it as attractive as possible. Since I began working in the car industry, I have come to notice a few habits that people in the market for a car have. I do not sell cars personally, but deal with individuals selling them all day long. The most practical criteria when considering buying a used vehicle is the mechanical quality. However, it is often the car that looks newer and cleaner that is sold quickly, and for top dollar. We all want to buy a car that runs, of course, but we want a car that looks good even more!

There are some inexpensive ways you can really add value to your car, paintless dent repair being one of the best. When you take the time and effort to remove the dents, it adds incredible value to your vehicle. Cars that still have dents look as though the owner did not care much for the car and may lead the buyer to think that other needs of the car went unnoticed.

Even cars that have had body work can cause buyers to be suspicious of a vehicle's quality, however. When non-factory paint is used, a red flag pops up for many savvy buyers. To have the car painted implies that the car was in an accident, and the customer can become very suspicious of the car and its safety. With paintless dent repair, there is no altering of the cars factory finish.

I believe that it is safe to say that for every dollar of dent repair spent you should at least see two dollars added to the value of your vehicle. The process is quick and can be easily scheduled. Your car will sell more quickly and closer to the price you ask for simply because it looks good, leaving the customer nothing to point out for offering a less than reasonable price.

Paintless dent repair offers a valuable return on your investment, adding to the bottom line of any car sale. Be sure to watch for more posts regarding adding value to your vehicle and please leave a comment with any questions you may have!

Pet Hair Revisited

Here at The Car Bar we like to make sure that the job is done right the first time. So, when a customer asks to have every last little pet hair removed, the job should look a little something like this:

The interior must be completely pulled out.Getting under the seats is nearly impossible without removing them first.

Pet hair is tricky. It gets buried in the carpet fibers, collects under seats, and settles into places you never knew existed in your car. If not completely removed, smells and hair will continually plague your car.

A job like this could take you all day. Literally, all day! We are more than happy to take this on for you. This is of those situations where I highly recommend you drop your car off, head home, pour yourself your favorite beverage, and think about how much work you are not having to do at the moment. It’s a great feeling. Give us a call, let us make your life easier and you can have all the credit for the clean car.

Mold!

Water leaks on a car are pesky and destructive, and one of the ways that they can ruin the interior of your car is by creating a perfect environment for mold to grow. Unless a car is perfectly dried out, there is a risk of mold growth. Luckily, this mold can be removed effectively! Severity can range from just a few spores to having entire colonies under the carpet and in the padding (jute). Removing it, however, is not always easy.

First the material must be thoroughly cleaned. I mean the kind of thorough your mom wanted when you cleaned the bathrooms at home. The mold is not just a surface spot, it actually roots itself in to the material and, if not completely removed, can and will come back again. After a cleaning, an enzymatic chemical is applied that eats the remaining organic material. In the last stage the car is dried. When the car is completely dry there is no place for the mold to live so whatever material is left will die and no longer pose an odor or health hazard.

If the mold is severe, the padding must be replaced. Mold loves cool dark places and the padding is a veritable breeding factory. This is a very labor intensive task. The seats must be removed and any console on the floor must be removed as well. This also may require special tools, which means even more work, but it must be done. As always the final step is to dry out the car completely and replace the damaged parts with new ones.

You can take steps to minimize mold damage. Check you carpet regularly for excessive moisture and when you are able, leave your windows cracked a little to allow the moisture to leave the car. This is especially effective when the heater is on. Keep an eye on the trunk as well. Many car owners are not aware of mold in the trunk unless it is used regularly!

When it comes to mold, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That said, sometimes mold just happens and when it does you can always trust The Car Bar to do the job effectively the first time!

Help, My Car Smells Like Smoke!

The materials on the interior of your car can trap many things, odors being one of them and cigarette smoke being one that is the most difficult to remove. Many of your store bought chemicals and shampoos will simply move the odor-causing material around and at best mask the odor that is produced. While this works, it is very much a temporary solution as the odors will soon be back.

When a person smokes in a vehicle the cigarette releases a bunch of chemicals into the car, such as Formaldehyde, Ammonia, Acetone, Tar and Carbon Monoxide (to name a few). These chemicals embed themselves and attach to the fibers of the carpet and sink into the pores of the leather and vinyl. So, as you can see now, the odor is everywhere and only an extremely thorough cleaning will help.

To remove these chemicals you need to use a solvent to break down their bond with the materials in the car, otherwise you are just scrubbing them in deeper. The problem with store bought chemicals is they do not always have the solvents necessary to clean the material and the perfumes they use simply trick your nose until they wear out and then you are back to square one. Even using the correct cleaning agents won’t always completely remove the odor. That is where the ozone machine comes in.

This machine creates a chemical reaction inside the car that eliminates the odor. The machine saturates the air with oxygen molecules and these molecules combine with the odor causing molecules to neutralize them. (Think of it as using Oxyclean for the surfaces in your car.)

The solvents used in successfully removing odors are quite aggressive, and if you are not experienced you could really damage the interior of your car. They also require a fair amount of safety equipment to use them properly. At The Car Bar we use a commercial grade shampoo followed by a spirits based solvent. They are so effective that the rags actually will turn brown from all the tar that is removed! Once the car is cleaned, an ozone machine is placed inside for 12-24 hours based on the severity of the odor. We want to make sure the job is done right, so if for some reason you still smell smoke, we fix it no questions asked. We stand by our work and are confident in the quality of our results.

So, whether it’s a New Years’ resolution to quit smoking, you just bought a used car, or someone decided to use your car as an ash tray we can make your smoke issue disappear for good! On a more general note, before we wrap this post up, we want to touch a bit on the purpose of our blog. Our goal is to offer solutions to many kinds of car care topics. If you have a question you'd like us to address, just ask! We are happy to answer any and all questions you may have. At the same time, we are are also more than happy to take on your project if you do not have the time or equipment, or are simply not comfortable doing it on your own. So please, ask us a question on our Facebook page, Twitter, via a comment on our blog, or via e-mail!